When Subscription Meets RMT

EVE Online and EQ2 have allowed legally sanctioned trading of characters and real money for a little while now; Vanguard started offering the ability to sell characters, items, and in-game gold on an official website; what could easily be called the first Western triple A title to be micro transaction only: Star Wars The Old Republic is reported to go RMT instead of subscription based; and Tom Chilton of Blizzard gave a vague answer that WoW could quite possibly add micro-transactions to WoW.

There well may be more examples that I haven’t located, in other subscription based MMORPGs.

I’m sorry but the little obstinate prude keeps wanting to poke his horns out whenever I see arguments debates over RMT and say:

Pull your head out of that dark hole. You apply very flimsy arguments, either for or against RMT, that could never work as you usually only use your feelings as “proof” which doesn’t work. On top of that, there are so many variables(see: thousands and thousands) that to even formulate an argument on any basis of comparison is futile and illogical.

You’d have to first create set variables but that would extremely limit the player base you are arguing against.

Most people who don’t pay are the ones who care so little that they aren’t even commenting(quite possibly they aren’t even aware of this debate within the community).

A percentage of people complaining are still paying. They put so much importance on it. They feel it is important to “compete” with the other people they think are paying, because the things they believe they get out of it are the important things to them in-game, so they may not like it but they are still paying.

I play Runes of Magic on Smacht(PvP) server. I’m not a big PvPer but I like the option of having it. I do like to participate once in awhile, and it’s a fun addition to me, that I don’t want to go without in a PvE server. So I like having that option, even if I hardly ever partake.

I have a handful of friends, in-game, that are top of their class in the server. None of them have paid a dime. They are feared, honored, and to some(see: me) respected a bit for having obtained top-class status with insane gear and enhancements without ever paying real money.

You’d have to first create variables:

You could set “walls” up. You could say, of the people that want the status of being level cap and having the best gear possible and being the best at PK or PVP, it’s hard to compete with payers.

For starters, I’m sorry to break this to you, but you are in the minority. I’ve said this before but- one look at any MMORPGs servers will show you theirs more PvE servers and those servers are typically fuller than PvP servers.

Even if you only considered PvP or said that even in PvE these player want the best, you are still in the minority. Regardless of server, There are more casual players online at any given time, than “hardcore” players. Another statement I’ve made many times is the analytical report about WoW that states 55% of all players will never see 85$ of the game’s content.

Complainers are still paying:

This is utterly mind bottling. You disagree but you still pay because you feel you have to? Choice is choice. Any attempt at arguing it simply makes you look bad. That’s not a jab. That’s a helpful tip of life. Your welcome. If you disagree but still want to pay to compete, go to a subscription game. You obviously have the money.

“Buying” the best gear:

I’ve played just about every F2P game currently on the market sans a couple that came out in the last month. What game sells gear? To my mind everyone is arguing this, which would make you think it’s beyond obvious yet, I can’t think back to a game that sold any gear-at all.

I do know they sold many things that did lead to imbalance arguments. I love Shaiya, but PvP is hard because at any given time, I get ganked by players who are using an item called “NOS” that they paid for which increases their crit rate or other attributes for a set time.

There are other games selling similar items. But refresh my memory, does any game actually sell gear?

RMT is the future baby, so either join in and like it, or get left out in the cold:

RMT is the second biggest selling business model in the video game industry, second only to the casual game market.

RMT is steadily going up and up with no signs yet of slowing down.

It’s the way things are going. If players didn’t like it, there wouldn’t be so much success.

Now we have subscription games incorporating RMT, because they know they can make rediculous amounts of money off the players.

Closing:

Personally, I could almost care less. As long as I have the option, I’m happy. I have the freedom of choice. Don’t take my freedoms away from me, and I’m usually happy. I don’t care what anyone else does, as long as I have my choice(and don’t try to say payers are taking my choice away-my points above apply to this and many many other concepts).

I’m not a business man, and don’t want to be. I want to have fun, and am. I’m having a ton of fun in my favorite MMORPG: Runes of Magic. No one with better gear is going to cause me to have less fun, even if I want to PvP.

Here’s a little more life help. No one can make you bored. It’s true and something you’ll learn if you go to college. YOU react how YOU choose to react. Apart from someone kidnapping you or taking your human rights away(and no any in-game actions can not take your human rights away from you), it is your choice how you react to something. It’s not anyone elses fault if you react angrily or happily or a sadly, etc…

The tide will always go out and come back in but will never go away becaue this is no more than a fanboy war where there is no winner. It’s no different than the fanboy wars over which console is better. Isn’t it better to have both consoles? Doesn’t that just benefit all players?

At the true heart of this RMT debate, isn’t anything on the games side. It’s on your side. It’s your responsibility. You can have fun, or walk away, decide.